The Digital Legacy Conference addresses, highlights and celebrates work that is being carried out in areas relating to digital legacy and digital assets. Read a review from this year’s conference below:

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors and speakers

Digital Legacy Conference 2016 was free to attend took place thanks to the kindness of St Joseph’s Hospice, Seddon Smith Accountants and Leverton & Sons. We would like to thank the following speakers who contributed their time and expertise:

⏳ James Norris – Digital Legacy Association & DeadSocial.

⏳ Jane Harris Edmonds – Beyond Goodbye.

⏳ Dr Mark Taubert – NHS Wales & Velindre Cancer Centre.

⏳ Gary Rycroft – Dying Matters & Jospeh A. Jones Solicitors.

⏳ Peter Billingham – Death Goes Digital.

⏳ Evan Carroll – Your Digital Afterlife.

The Digital Legacy Conference is an annual, not for profit conference ran by: The Digital Legacy Association. This year it took taking place during Dying Matters Awareness Week.

Millions of people in Britain risk missing out on having their end of life wishes met and leaving their affairs in a mess for their families to sort out because they haven’t planned for their death, according to a new study released by the Dying Matters Coalition.

Today’s ComRes research, released to coincide with Dying Matters Awareness Week (18-24 May) finds that although the majority of us think it is more acceptable to talk about dying now than it was 10 years ago, discussing dying and making end of life plans remains a taboo, as a majority think that people in Britain are uncomfortable discussing dying, death and bereavement.

Although a third of British adults (32%) think about dying and death at least once a week, 72% of the public believe that people in Britain are uncomfortable discussing dying, death and bereavement.

Only 35% of the public say they have written a will, 32% that they have registered as an organ donor or have a donor card, 31% that they have taken out life insurance, 27% that they have talked to someone about their funeral wishes and 7% that they have written down their wishes or preferences about their future care, should they be unable to make decisions for themselves.

Just 18% of British adults say they have asked a family member about their end of life wishes.

Amongst parents who had children under 18 living with them, less than a third (28%) say they had written a Will, risking wishes about who would look after the children and inheritance not being met. Just 40% of parents who had children under 18 living with them said they had ever taken out life insurance.

Despite this failure to talk about dying and plan ahead, 71% of the public agree that if people in Britain felt more comfortable discussing dying, death and bereavement it would be easier to have our end of life wishes met.

The research also finds that the majority of people (79%) agree that quality of life is more important than how long they live for. Only 2% of over 65s disagree that their quality of life is more important to them than how long they live for. Just 13% of people surveyed said they would like to live forever and only 8% said they would like to live to over 100. The most common age at which people would like to die is 81-90 (27%). Despite the fact that life expectancy is on the rise, only 6% of people aged over 65s want to live to over 100.

When asked about factors to ensure a good death, being pain free was the most important option, chosen by a third of people (33%), followed by being with family and friends (17%), retaining your dignity (13%), being cared for and able to die in the place of your choice (6%), being involved in decisions about your care, or if you are not able to for family and friends to be involved (6%) and having your religious/spiritual needs met (5%).

The survey also finds that three-quarters of people (75%) agree that providing end of life care should be a fundamental part of the work of the NHS, with almost two-thirds (62%) agreeing that end of life care should be a priority for the new Government.

“We need to change the nation’s approach to dying, so that all of us become better at making our end of life wishes known and asking our loved ones about theirs. Talking about dying and planning ahead may not be easy, but it can help us to make the most of life and spare our loved ones from making difficult decisions on our behalf or dealing with the fallout if we haven’t got our affairs in order.”

“There are encouraging signs that talking about dying is becoming less of a taboo than previously, but too many people are continuing to avoid facing up to their own mortality and are not putting plans in place. The public and health professionals alike need to become more comfortable talking about dying and discussion options for end of life care. We know that many people have strong views about their end of life wishes, but unless they talk about them and plan ahead they are unlikely to be met.”

Funeral invitations came into use in the 17th century and originally functioned as admission tickets because space in the church and at the funeral feast was limited. The invitations were incredibly ornate and depicted classic symbols such as hour glasses and skulls.

RSVP is a fresh look at this tradition. It is a collection of work made in a number of different mediums and styles by 25 international artists.

‘Home’ by Benjamin Phillips

We are delighted and very excited that RSVP will be taking place the first annual Digital Legacy Conference.

Call for Artists

Artists and photographers who would like to exhibit their work at the Digital Legacy Conference should email us with one or more images of their work. It will be the responsibility of the artist/photographer to bring their work to the conference between 10am-11pm on the 23rd May and then take the pieces away at the end of the conference.

Photo from DeadSocial’s ‘Capturing the Sprit of Death’ campaign at the Ideal Death Show

The Digital Legacy Conference is ran by the Digital Legacy Association. The Digital Legacy Association is the professional body dedicated to raising the quality of end of life care in all areas relating to digital asset and digital legacy. Our mission is to help ensure that everyone’s end of life wishes are met both in the real world and the digital realm. We do this by supporting the general public and by developing standards, frameworks and toolkits with charities and organisations that address end of life.